By September, nine of the 49 caseworkers planned for Nueces County
will be special investigators who have a police background, said
Georgina Morales, program administrator for investigations for CPS. The
focus on more in-depth observations is in response to a growing
awareness of potential abuse.

"People have become more educated on the issue," said Scott Dixon,
regional director for CPS. "They know what to look for and who to
call." Three new investigative units - each consisting of four
caseworkers and one special investigator - are being formed in Nueces
County to handle anticipated increasing caseloads, Dixon said. The
department currently has seven units.

Nueces County had 1,917 confirmed victims of child abuse or neglect
in 2005, and 1,817 in 2006, statistics show. Currently, Nueces County
employs 36 caseworkers.

Dixon said the agency aggressively investigates thousands of reports
of potential abuse. The number of those tips is unavailable because the
agency tracks only confirmed victims.

If CPS deems a home unsafe, caseworkers might ask the parent or
guardian to place the child with a family member until they have
successfully completed training or parenting classes, Morales said.

In more severe cases, when the parent or guardian has a history of
child abuse or neglect, the caseworker must decide whether legal action
needs to be taken to remove the child from the home, Morales said. This
also happens if child abuse is evident from bruises or other injuries
to the child, Morales said.

In April 2005, lawmakers made it mandatory for CPS to begin hiring
caseworkers who have law enforcement background and are trained in
forensic investigations, Dixon said.

The purpose of the law was

to strengthen investigations, Morales said.

The nine specially trained caseworkers - or what the agency calls
senior investigators - will assist in cases that are high profile or
high risk, particularly cases requiring joint investigation with law
enforcement, Dixon said. High-risk or high-profile cases include those
involving sexual abuse against a child, child death or drugs, Morales
said.

Law enforcement and CPS officials are notified of potential abuse
through a hotline that people across Texas can call to give tips. The
number is (800) 862-5252.

Because of their law enforcement background, special investigators
can communicate better with law enforcement officials and are familiar
with documents required to move cases more quickly through the judicial
system, Dixon said.

"Senior investigators really have opened our eyes," Dixon said.

In addition to helping serve as mediators to law enforcement, senior
investigators train other caseworkers on how better to collect
evidence, Dixon said.

For example, a child's bloody sock could be a telltale sign that
abuse exists in a home, said Jesus Villarreal, law enforcement liaison
with CPS. Before, caseworkers might have noted the sock as a concern
and questioned parents or guardians.

Now, caseworkers are trained to investigate the entire home,
searching for clues on how the blood might have appeared instead of
relying solely on the investigation of law enforcement officers, who
might respond to or investigate the case at a later time, Villarreal
said.

Skilled investigators coach CPS caseworkers on how to ask more
in-depth questions to get the most out of interviews the first time,
Villarreal said. The more detail there is, the stronger a case can be,
Villarreal said.

"We used to rely on the family's background and our gut instinct,"
said Billy Winner-Davis, investigator program director. "Now, there's
more information at our disposal."

CASELOADS

1,917
number confirmed victims of child abuse or neglect in Nueces County in
2005

1,817
number confirmed victims of child abuse or neglect in Nueces County in
2006